ARLINGTON, Wash. (AP) — Crews using cadaver dogs, small bulldozers and their hands have been working through the muck and rain in a search for more people trapped in Saturday's mudslide in Washington state.

Two more bodies were recovered late Tuesday, bringing the official death toll to 16. As many as eight more bodies have been located but not yet recovered.

Scores of people remain listed as missing, but officials hope the restoration of power in a nearby logging town of Darrington will allow some residents to call in and have their names removed from the list.

Searchers have warned that they are likely to find more bodies in the debris field, which covers a neighborhood of 49 structures.

A volunteer rescue worker was injured yesterday. Everett Police say a small piece of debris thrown up by a helicopter downdraft struck the man in the head, rendering him unconscious momentarily. However, his injuries appeared to be minor.

Meanwhile, reports that warned years ago of the potential for a catastrophic landslide in Oso have been surfacing. Snohomish County officials and authorities in Oso say they were vigilant about warning of the dangers of a landslide.

(Story by: The Associated Press)

 

 

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